Canucks Send Nate Schmidt to Winnipeg

The Vancouver Canucks have acquired a third-round pick in 2022 – the same round and year that the Canucks moved to get him last year – from Winnipeg in exchange for defenseman Nate Schmidt.

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According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Vancouver Canucks have acquired a third-round pick in 2022 – the same round and year that the Canucks moved to get him last year – from Winnipeg in exchange for defenseman Nate Schmidt.

Schmidt moved over to Vancouver last fall after the Golden Knights signed top UFA Alex Pietrangelo to a long-term contract. Schmidt struggled in his one year in Vancouver, finishing with five goals and 15 points and generally playing at a lower quality than what had been seen in Washington and Vegas. 

Schmidt had to waive a no-trade clause for the deal to happen, and reports out of Vancouver said he wouldn’t have waived it for Winnipeg. That has seemingly changed in the last day.

Winnipeg acquired Brenden Dillon from the Washington Capitals on Monday evening, so the addition of the two defenders shows the team is committed to addressing its defense issue without selling off major assets.

After buying out Holtby and trading away Schmidt, the Canucks have managed to free up just south of $10 million in salary room ahead of the start of free agency Wednesday afternoon.